The first time I met Hayden and Erin was at our ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado for their engagement session last fall. The stormy skies made for quite the dramatic backdrop for their giggly and playful photo shoot with their sweet Golden Retriever. Their connection and true adoration for each other was undeniable and I knew we were in for an incredible treat getting to be a part of their Colorado mountain wedding here at the base of Mount Princeton and the other Collegiate Peaks. These two have a crazy connection and beautiful love that is going to take them to incredible heights––like, literally the 14ers at the base of their wedding venue at the Barn at Sunset Ranch.
Wedding days have a way to bring a level of energy one cannot prepare for, but without question experiences in full force. I was so grateful that these two decided to have a first look and read their vows privately to each other in an aspen grove on the Colorado Trail because from the moment I met them, it was obvious they are each others rocks and were going to need that space together on their wedding day to simply be together. Enjoy this beautiful fall wedding and reading more about Erin and Hayden’s story. We adore you both and cannot wait to see where this beautiful life takes you!
Love,
Taylor and Mike
Tell us about how you decided on hosting your wedding at the Barn at Sunset Ranch?
The September after we met we took a weekend trip to Buena Vista for Hayden’s birthday. It was Hayden’s first fall in Colorado and the aspens were just starting to change. From the minute we arrived in town he was in awe. Of course! Who isn’t in love with fall in Colorado, especially in Buena Vista! We had the most special weekend together and found ourselves sneaking away to Buena Vista whenever we needed a weekend away in the mountains. After we got engaged and started talking about wedding venues there were two must-haves: to get married in the mountains and during the fall. Buena Vista quickly became our first choice. Then once we saw The Barn at Sunset Ranch there was no question it was the perfect place for our wedding day. We planned a day trip to The Barn and remember saying to one another as we were driving up the road not to have our hearts set on it before we even got out of the car. We instantly fell in love. We left that day saying we’d look at a couple more venues before deciding but ended up booking the next day. Everything about The Barn at Sunset Ranch was perfect. It was beautiful, peaceful and exactly the what we had envisioned for our wedding day. The stunning view of Mount Princeton was everything we wanted!
- How did the two of you meet?
We owe it all to Bumble! I kicked off the conversation with a funny GIF from New Girl and Hayden responded right away. It was only two weeks after Hayden moved from Dallas to Denver that we had our first date. We met at a brewery and hit it off over our mutual love of hazy IPAs. When the night ended we made plans for that weekend and ended up spending the entire weekend together. Right from the beginning our relationship was both comfortable and exciting.
- Tell us all about your proposal!
The proposal was so funny. We got engaged in December 2020. We had planned to go for a hike but hadn’t decided on a trail until the day before when Hayden suggested we go to Panorama Point Trail in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. I was suspicious because it was meaningful being the first hike we did together after we met almost 2 years prior. The next day when we got to the trailhead Hayden asked me to put something in the car’s center console. As soon as I opened it there was a small gift bag from a jeweler sitting inside. Hayden completely forgot he took the ring box out of the bag and left the bag hidden in his car! When I saw it, I was sure he was going to propose on the hike but Hayden kept putting it off. Along the entire hike he acted so nervous! As we got closer to the trailhead and back to the car, I had no idea if Hayden was planning to ditch the proposal and do it another day so I could be fully surprised. But then we came upon a small aspen grove. It snowed overnight so there was a fresh blanket of snow and the sun had started to peek through the clouds in the sky. Sure enough I turned around and there was Hayden fumbling with something in his jacket, pulling out the ring and getting down on one knee (next to our Golden Retriever, Ranger)! We spent the rest of the hike laughing at the bag from the jeweler being in the car and me finding it. After we drove over to Nederland to pick up our favorite pizza at Crosscut and some beers from Knotted Root then parked at an overlook on Peak to Peak Highway eating in the trunk with the hatch open. It was the perfect day. We really can’t think of a better way to get engaged that felt more like us.
- What was your favorite part of wedding planning?
Definitely our menu and cake tasting. We heard amazing things about our caterer, Biscuits and Berries, but we had no idea how incredible they were until we went for our tasting. Hayden and I both love good food and I come from a family of restaurateurs so delicious catering was a must-have at our wedding. Biscuits and Berries served us everything we had on our menu and sent us home with mini cakes to try. It was so much fun. Every course was better than the last and we spent the entire tasting raving about how excellent everything was. It got us so excited for our wedding day and we simply couldn’t wait! We rolled out of Biscuits and Berries stuffed and happy. It was amazing! Later that night we pulled out the mini cakes, put a show on Netflix and sat in our bed tasting each one. It was such a fun way to end a great day of wedding planning.
- What was your most memorable moment from your ceremony?
Every moment of our wedding day was memorable, and while we loved our ceremony, our first look was actually the most special part of the day. Taylor and Mike took us up Cottonwood Pass to a trailhead with the most gorgeous aspen grove. It was everything. Having that time together to see one another and calm the initial nervous jitters of the day was perfect. Very early on in talking with Taylor she recommended doing a first look and we’re so glad we took her advice. It made the day that much better and gave us so much more time together. It felt like our own little private aspen grove where we could share our vows just the two of us. We loved every moment of it and are so grateful Taylor and Mike helped us make it so special!
- What are you most looking forward to in marriage?
Simply put, the many wonderful years ahead. Getting to go through life’s experiences with your favorite person by your side is so special. I think for both of us, we feel lucky to have found one another. We can’t wait to see where life takes us. We know it will be great no matter what because we’ll be together.
- What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding now?
The best thing you can do is find vendors you absolutely love. Every single vendor we had for our wedding was spectacular and were hugely helpful in getting us through wedding planning. They guided us through the details every step of the way with so much care. It’s also incredibly important to remind yourselves often why you are getting married. We fully recognize it’s hard and there’s a lot of stress and chaos that comes with the process. Don’t get lost in that. Enjoy the time being engaged. It’s a time that’s just as much fun as getting to your wedding day and being a newlywed that you absolutely will not want to forget.
- Please share you wedding vendors!
Wedding planner: McArthur Weddings and Events @
mcarthurweddingsandevents
Photographer: Taylor Jones Photography @taylorjonesphotography
Venue: The Barn at Sunset Ranch @thebarnatsunsetranch
Florist: Wild Holly Floral Co @wildhollyfloralcompany
Catering: Biscuits and Berries @biscuitsandberries
Hair & makeup: The Day @the_day_colorado
DJ & music: Gordon Avenue @gordonavenue
Bar: The Pour Trailer @thepourtrailer
Rentals: Colorado Party Rentals @copartyrentals and Event Rents @eventrents
Transportation: Charter Up @charterup
Wedding dress: Savin London @savinlondon via Little White Dress Bridal Shop @lwdbridal
Suits: Suitsupply @suitsupply
